Marshall Islands again experiencing high waves
Updated
The Marshall Islands is once again being hit by high waves and tidal surges and over the past few weeks the Marshalls has been working to recover after high waves destroyed buildings over Christmas.
Presenter: Campbell Cooney
Speakers: Chief Secretary of the Marshall Islands government Casten Nemira
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COONEY: For a fortnight leading up to Christmas Day, the Marshall Islands was hit by storm surges and tidal waves, which destroyed homes and infrastructure and spoiled the food gardens belonging to villages on its outer islands. That damage and its clean up bill is estimated in the millions-of-US dollars. But now, a month later, the waves are back, and the Marshalls is once again in a state of emergency.
The Chief Secretary of the Marshall Islands Government, Casten Nemira, says this time the surges aren't as big or as fierce, but the waves are hitting those parts of the islands already badly affected by the last ones.
NEMIRA: It's an ongoing concern it's the coastal erosions, and in fact, to the point where it's starting really to compromise our infrastructures and underneath these roads we have pipes for the fresh water distribution, the cable lines, the electric lines and the potential to have more devastating affect to the communities that rely on these utilities for structures. These areas, there has been slow gradual erosion's, but after the wave incident in December, it was so much affect and damage and exposure now these smaller water swells, subsequently that comes after its dwelling. It's not helping the situation so to speak.
COONEY: So what sort of action are you guys doing?
NEMIRA: We'll continue to monitor it more swells, but as far as these roads, the strip of roads that are severely affected, we will be working to put some major protections to ensure that these roads are protected.
COONEY: The US National Weather Service based in Guam provides forecasts and warnings for the Micronesia region. It's issued this warning.
ANNOUNCEMENT : Large trade winds generated swells will continue to affect areas of Micronesia from Chuk and eastward to Majuro. A high surf advisory remains in affect for east facing reefs have already exposed reefs and beaches, where currents can be life threatening.
COONEY: The Meteorological Bureau of the Federated States of Micronesia says it's received reports of high waves on many of its islands.
The Kiribati Met Services says the islands around the capital, Ontarawa, are experiencing fine weather and so far it's received no reports of highways from those islands, neighbouring the Marshalls, or from its other island groups located between two and three-and-a-half thousand kilometres east of the capital.
Casten Nemira, from the Marshall Islands Government says it's yet to here when these latest tidal surges are forecast to finish.
NEMIRA: Now at this point of these months at least from what we are told, these are the times when we get significantly higher tide. These small swells that come in, like the one in the last 48 hours, they are creating more devastating affect than what they usually do.
